Shamisen fusion

More a note to myself than anything but I have a soft spot for genre crossing music… when done right (they can go awry very easily).

And Tsugaru-jamisen is an awesome traditional Japanese instrument that’s often played up tempo with passion, so it can meld nicely with modern instruments and sounds.

Itanji (異端侍) – I gotta check these guys out soon in Tokyo

Musashi (六三四) – I have one of their albums, and should own more, trad-prog-rock done to perfection

Yoshida Brothers (吉田兄弟) – One of the first big stars in the world of modern Tsugaru-jamisen fusion